Population genetics and ecology

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Published: 05.05.2004
- Updated: 17.09.2009

This research group is looking into the structure and function of DNA in marine species, as well as using genetic approaches to study ecological and evolutionary processes. Other tasks include the genetic classification of wild populations and farmed species (including methods for tracing escaped fish), the behaviour, distribution and survival of organisms that escape from fish farms, and the evolutionary impacts of fishing.

The group consists of four specialist teams:

The Genome Team is working on the functional classification of genes, is studying the genetic structure of salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis), and has started work on the molecular identification and quantification of zooplankton.

The work on salmon lice is focused on:

Studying molecular processes and their regulation using standard and RNAi methodology

Laying the foundations for the development of a vaccine against salmon lice

Building up resources and developing methods for functional genome research in salmon lice

Sequencing the salmon louse genome (in cooperation with University of Bergen and the Max Planck Institute)

Teamleder: Rasmus Skern Mauritzen

The work on zooplankton is focused on:

Establishing assays and testing conceptual approaches

The Population Genetics Team is working on developing and applying genetic approaches to the study of ecological processes and to the genetic classification of wild populations and farmed species, including methods for tracing escaped fish:

Using genetic techniques to identify species and populations

Building genetic databases of important species for which Norway has management responsibility